Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmuaval’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmuaval’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date October 15-22; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Zanmuaval’.

RELATED CULTIVARS

This new plant cultivar ‘ZANMUAVAL’ is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifoliumRamat., commercially known as a garden mum, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar denomination ‘Zanmuaval’. ‘Zanmuaval’ is a product of abreeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) whichhad the objective of creating new cultivars with a double typeinflorescence, a natural season flower date around October 15-22,blooming for a period of 5 weeks. ‘Zanmuaval’ is a seedling resultingfrom a crossing program between the female parent id 3384 (non-patented)and male parent id 19455 (non-patented). Plants of the new cultivar‘Zanmuaval’ differ from plants of the female parent in the followingcharacteristics. (1) Inflorescence size. And (2) Inflorescence color.(1) The inflorescences of the female parent are smaller in size thanthose of the new plant. (2) The inflorescences of the female parent arered, while those of the new plant are purple.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Zanmuaval’ differ from plants of the maleparent in the following characteristics. (1) Vigor. And (2)Susceptibility for white rust. (1) Plants of the male parent are morevigorous than those of the new plant. (2) Plants of the male parent aremore susceptible for white rust than those of the new plant.

The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a floweringplant by Wilhelmus Bernardus Blom on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout,The Netherlands in 2006. The first act of asexual production of‘Zanmuaval’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings from the initialselection in 2006 were propagated further in a controlled environment inRijsenhout, The Netherlands. The new cultivar has been found to retainits distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown outdoor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length andtemperature and planted in week 23 in 2009. The natural blooming date ofthis crop was October 15-22 (week 42/43). The average height of theplants was 30 cm. No growth retardants were used. Tests were tested onsusceptibility for infection by the fungus white rust Puccinia horiana.No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new varietyproduces medium sized blooms with purple ray florets blooming for aperiod of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Zanmuaval’ is ‘Venus’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,378).When ‘Venus’ and ‘Zanmuaval’ are being compared the following differenceis noticed: The difference of ‘Venus’ and ‘Zanmuaval’ are (1) naturalseason blooming date, and (2) difference in tonality of inflorescencecolor. (1) Plants of ‘Venus’ flower in an earlier period than those of‘Zanmuaval’. (2) Inflorescences of ‘Venus’ are evenly purple colored,while those of ‘Zanmuval’ are more two tone colored, purple with a darkcenter.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Zanmuaval’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 2001.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of Chrysanthemum x morifolium Ramat.‘Zanmuaval’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.5 cm, height 0.3 cm ShapeOblate Texture Pubescent Outside Color Greyed-green 191B PhyllariesNumber 20-22, arranged in 3 rows Shape Elliptic Apex Acute Base TruncateMargin Entire Color Upper surface: Greyed-green 191B Lower surface:Green 138A Length and width 1 cm; 0.1 cm Texture Pubescent InflorescenceType Double Height 1.5 cm Diameter 5 cm Peduncle length 5-6 cm Pedunclecolor Green 138C Peduncle diameter 0.2 cm Peduncle texture PubescentNumber per branch Approx. 6 inflorescences Duration of flowering 5 weeksSeeds Produced in small quantities, ovate, Greyed-brown 199A, length 1.5mm, diameter 0.8 mm Fragrance Faint chrysanthemum odor Color Center ofinflorescences Immature stage: Purple N79B Mature stage: Purple N79DColor of upper surface of the Purple N79C ray-florets Color of the lowersurface Purple 77C of the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A gardenmum with purple flowers with a dark center Color of the ray-floretsafter Purple 77D aging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and lowersurface smooth Number 240-260 Shape Elliptic Apex Varying from acute todentate Base Attenuate Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of Straightmajority Length of corolla tube 0.2-0.4 cm Ray-floret margin EntireRay-floret length 1-2.5 cm Ray-floret width 0.2-0.5 cm Ratiolength/width High Disc florets Absent Receptacle Color Green 138C ShapeDomed raised Height 0.3 cm Diameter 0.4 cm Reproductive OrgansAndroecium Absent Pollen Not produced Gynoecium Present in ray-floretsStyle Length 3 mm Stigma color Yellow 7A Stigma Width 1 mm OvaryEnclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type pot mum, outdoorraised and mounded Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate MediumHeight 30 cm Width 50 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown 199A Stem Strength WeakStem Brittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Not observedInternode length 2-4 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 20cm Lateral branch color Green 137C Lateral branch, attachment BrittleLateral branch diameter 2 mm Branching (average number Prolific with 8-9breaks after pinching of lateral branches) Natural season blooming dateOctober 15-22 (week 42/43) Foliage Leaf color Upper side: Green 139ALower side: Green N138A Color midvein Upper side: Yellow-green 147DLower side: Yellow-green 148D Size Small.; length 3-5 cm, width 2-3.5 cmQuantity (number per lateral 15-17 branch) Shape Elliptic Texture upperside Sparsely pubescent Texture under side Pubescent Venationarrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of SinusRounded Between Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Diverging LateralLobes Shape of Base Truncate Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.3-0.8 cmPetiole diameter 0.2-0.4 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety ‘Zanmuaval’ ‘Venus’Natural season blooming date Week 42/43 Week 35 Color centerinflorescence Purple N79B Red-purple 60A Color upper surface ray floretsPurple N79C Red-purple 60A

1. A new and distinct chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmuaval’ as describedand illustrated.